Gravity
by avorialair
Summary: What started with chips ended in tears. But from the ashes, something else was born... A short little story between Nine and Rose, to bring back the essence of what the two of them used to be. [COMPLETE]
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**_: What started with chips ended in tears. But from the ashes, something else was born... A short little story between Nine and Rose, to bring back the essence of what the two of them used to be._

**Characters**_: Ninth Doctor, Rose Tyler_

**Rating**_: T, for language and some scenes._

**Words**_: 17, 989_

**Genre**_: Romance, Humour, Angst, Songfic_

**Spoilers**_: A few for the first series. Nothing major. Well, not really._

**Disclaimer**_: The Song "Gravity" by Embrace – which was the main inspiration behind this fic – is fantastic, but nothing to do with me. I just borrowed their words. Doctor Who is nothing of mine. All the BBC's creation and ownership. Believe me, it's something I cry about on a daily basis. But it's probably just as well, because I couldn't come up with the fantastic storylines anyway._

**A/N**_: Though this is a Songfic by definition, it was mostly "inspired by", so don't go thinking it's based much on the song. The lyrics just sort of seemed to fit with the Doctor and Rose how they are together generally, not specifically this fic. This is longer than my other Songfic, too, by about 7,000 words, so I've split each section of the song up into chapters to make it easier to read._

**Dedication**: _I would like to dedicate this to the memory of the Ninth Doctor and Rose. We all know the current season is drawing to a close, with some sad news at the end, so this is just to lift the spirit of those who want to go on remembering the Doctor and Rose at their best.

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**Gravity****

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**----------------------------------------------------**

**Honey, it's been a long time coming, **

**And I can't stop now; **

**----------------------------------------------------**

It was the chips that had done it, he decided. Rose had wandered out of her room in the middle of the night – well, not the _night_ as such; the TARDIS didn't have nights. The middle of her sleeping pattern, then – to the control room in search of the Doctor. She had found him all right, stretched out deep into the TARDIS' control circuits. She'd given him the fright of his life, too, coming up and putting a hand on his leg like that. He'd shot out all ready to lunge at whatever leg-touching beastie had found its way into his time and space machine; of course, all he'd found was Rose, in fits of giggles at his expression and curt choice of welcome words. He frowned and pocketed the sonic screwdriver in his leather jacket.

"You quite done?" he asked a little testily, rubbing his head where he'd whacked it on the console.

"Yeah," Rose choked, wiping her eyes with laughter. "Look, I wanted to ask you something."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and pulled himself to his feet. He looked at her questionably, folding his arms.

"This isn't going to turn into one of those situations where you ask me to go somewhere obscure you've read about in the library, I say it's a bad idea, you persist, I tell you to go away and do something else, you go 'round hiding all my pairs of clean socks and won't give them back until we go off and visit, meaning I have no choice but to do as you say, is it? Because, honestly, I'd really rather not have to deal with those effects again. My genitals still haven't recovered."

That sent her off into a new strain of laughing fit, to which the Doctor merely raised an eyebrow and waited for her to sober. She did so soon enough, suppressing her snorts as coughs.

"You could have _told_ me they didn't like shadow puppets, y'know," she pointed out with a smirk.

"Oh, they like shadow puppets all right. Think the world of them. They jus' don't like it when you go an' insult the emperor and his... reputation."

"I only made a pair of rabbit ears!"

The Doctor quirked an eyebrow. "That's what you think."

"Oh." Rose blinked at him a moment before a form of realisation hit her. "Ohhhhh," she added sheepishly, a pink tinge adopting the top her cheeks. "You coulda said somethin'."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Next time I'll just stand around and chat while the pitch-forks are being hurled at us, shall I? Damn near got yourself killed."

"Look, we're gettin' a bit off topic," she sighed a little exasperatedly. The Doctor grinned at her, a manic, cheesy affair.

"Fire away."

"Thing is... I could _really_ go for some chips..."

The Doctor frowned, wondering if he'd heard correctly.

"You're kidding," he said at last when he could find no signs that she was. "You've got the entire TARDIS at your fingertips, and yet you want to go for chips? No sense of decency, that's your problem."

After a few snide comments about the Doctor's own taste in food, he had eventually given in and taken the TARDIS to a remote little place on the coast of Wales. So now, here they were, ordering chips from a tiny little restaurant at eight o'clock in the morning. They sat in uncomfortable plastic chairs around a table that was so unbalanced it would have put the Leaning Tower of Pisa to shame. The chips were good, though. Warm and moist, yet crisp, too. There was a perfect amount of vinegar and salt – though, the Doctor noted, that was probably Rose's doing. She really was quite perfected in the art of chip making. Another quality he admired in her.

He leant back in the chair, his back straining the weak plastic, and watched her happily as she ate the chips slowly, her head twisted to gaze out at the sea not far off from them. He wasn't sure quite when he had turned into the sort of person who would do whatever she asked of him. That look, that small grin, that flutter of the eyelashes... she had it all. After the Time War, he never thought that anyone would have that power over him again. But it wasn't so bad. He could very easily get used to this. Bring on the universe, because he had something better. Something that would last.

Oh yes, life was good, he speculated, leaning back in the chair a little bit further. The air was crisp and fresh, he was in a better mood than he had been in a long while and he had the best company in the world. Rose Tyler. He couldn't help grinning at her when she caught his eye. Of course, then _she_ couldn't help laughing when the chair gave way beneath him and he tumbled backwards to the ground, thus proving that age old rule that mothers always tell their children: never swing on the back legs of a chair. 


	2. Chapter 2

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**Such a long time running, **

**And I can't stop now. **

**-------------------------------------**

Why he'd brought them out to a beach, he didn't know. Because of course, she couldn't see the sea and not want to go for a paddle. Despite it being eight o 'clock in the morning and, thus, rather bloody cold. She'd grinned at him in that way she could and taken his hand persuasively, her warming fingers linking with his. He couldn't help the fact that his fingers brushed the top of her hand tenderly as he'd grinned back at her, his thumb tracing a pattern in her palm. Then she had pulled him away from the tables and chairs outside the restaurant, across the empty road, over the mound of rocks and pebbles leading to the beach and down, down to the sand below. He laughed at her when she'd stopped and sat down, gaining a wet patch of sand on her backside in the meanwhile, tearing off her socks and shoes in a hurry.

"If you're not careful, I'll nab those," he commented, raising an eyebrow towards the socks she was stuffing into her trainers. She looked up at him, squinting into the sunshine. He was grinning, madly. "Little payback for what you did before."

"Don't think you need any more socks, Doctor," she laughed playfully. "You wouldn't believe how long it took me to find all the ones you'd hidden in your bedroom."

"I assume that by 'hidden', you mean artistically arranged in the bottom of my wardrobe in such a way that it was unbelievably easy to find them all?"

"All one-hundred-and-twenty pairs," Rose grumbled.

He looked incredulous.

"I don't care what you say, Rose, I do _not_ have that many socks."

She smirked at him. "You should count 'em. It'll be something for you to do when you get back to the TARDIS. 'Cause, y'know, knowing you, you can't _not_ know. You'll be standing there, itching to know how many are jus'... sittin' there. Waiting."

Rose looked up to him playfully, her tongue stuck firmly in the side of her mouth, wedged between her teeth as she smiled.

He didn't dignify her with an answer – mostly, because she was probably right. Since when had she gotten to know him so well? He grinned at her again, before sitting down beside her to relieve his feet of his own shoes. She blinked at him with a frown.

"What you doin'?" she asked, her voice actually shocked. He paused for a moment, his blue eyes on her.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Havin' a bath?"

"Well, no... it's just... didn't think you were the paddling type."

He thought about this for a second, momentarily distracted. Then he heaved a shrug and pulled off his second shoe, sock and all.

"People change," he offered as he stood again, bringing her with him. Rose stared down to his feet, his toes wiggling in the damp sand. She could already feel the water beginning to trickle under her soles.

"Didn't think you were people, either," she replied distantly, still staring down to his toes.

There was a pause as he let his eyes drift across her, her flushed cheeks and windswept hair. She didn't think he was people? Was that a good thing, or a bad thing? He didn't honestly know.

"You waiting for it to grow a sixth toe, or what?" the Doctor asked at length, amused by her sudden interest in his feet. She blinked and looked up to him, slightly abashed.

"No, I just – It's..."

"...A foot," he finished, when she seemed unable to. At her perplexed expression, he grinned. "Yes, Rose, I have feet, just like you. Five toes, heel, arch, ankle. Don't be so surprised."

"Oh," she laughed embarrassedly, reaching a hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear and looking away. "Yeah, course. Sorry."

"So much to learn, Rose Tyler," he grinned, taking her hand again and yanking her down the beach. "Good thing you've got me here to teach you."

They both grinned like escaped lunatics as they ran, hand in hand, down the length of the deserted beach. The Doctor's jacket blew out behind him and the wind cut ferociously at his cheeks, making his eyes water. But he didn't care. The feel of the fresh sand beneath his feet and the delicate hand in his was more than enough to make him happy. His blood was pumping, his heart was racing, his mind was whizzing; and as the sea rushed up to meet the pair of them, he wouldn't have swapped it for anything else in the universe.


	3. Chapter 3

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**Do you hear my heart beating? **

**Can you hear that sound? **

**---------------------------------------------**

The sea was, as he'd predicted, cold. More than cold. Absolutely sodding freezing. They rushed in there like a pair of giggling school children, the water splashing around them and soaking their clothes instantly. His trousers hadn't lasted a second. They were soaked up to the thigh sooner than he would have believed, despite the fact that the water was only a few inches deep. Still, at least he had nice black cotton. Poor Rose had a terrible time with her jeans, which immediately began clinging on to her for dear life.

They doubled over with laughter, the cold water adding to the sheer hilarity of the situation.

"It's _coooold_," Rose whined, screwing her eyes shut tight and balling her hands into fists by her side. The Doctor laughed.

"Course it's cold, you daft thing. What did you expect, a sauna?"

She opened an eye pointedly and looked at him. "None of your cheek, Doctor. I can always find more things to hide."

He took a menacing step towards her, the water sloshing around his ankle as he did so. "Was that a threat, Miss Tyler?" he grinned. "I don't deal well with threats. All sorts of things start to happen. Things I can't control..." His eyes were dancing dangerously as he waded through the water. Rose backed away, ever so slightly.

"Like what?" she asked cheekily, her eyes on his. She had to ask, didn't she? Good girl for taking the bait.

"Oh, you don't want to know," he growled, advancing further, taking slow strides against the tide of the cold, salty water. "I've been known to get quite dangerous, me. Wouldn't want to be the one who gets in my way when I... strike."

"Oh, yeah?" Rose asked teasingly, her tongue tucked neatly between her teeth in the corner of her mouth. "Sure you're not just imagining things again, Doctor?"

"Nope. Not at all."

There was a moment that seemed to last an eternity. The two of them, eyes locked, circling each other in the sea. There was an unsaid game being played between them as they walked and it was simply a matter of time before all the pieces were laid and the game began. The Doctor was grinning dangerously, the cold water seeping up his legs with the rise and fall of the early morning tide. His hearts were racing at a colossal speed, desperate to pump the blood around his body in time. He recognised every movement Rose made and matched it, move for move. But she was faster than him. Before he could react, she brought her leg up and splashed a large load of water in his direction. It hit him, full on, covering his torso with the icy, chilling water. He blinked at her a moment, his mouth open in incredulous shock. She had _not_ just bested him in a water fight.

"_That_," he said grimly, shaking the water off from him before looking her in the eye, "was a mistake."

She shrieked with laughter as he made a lunge for her and fought against the water to get out of his reach. But the sea fought back and she couldn't move half as fast as on land. The Doctor grabbed her by the wrists and wrestled with her, setting her centre of gravity shooting all over the place. It was a wonder that she even managed to stay upright. She wriggled out of his grip desperately, reaching down to flick more water in his direction. But he was ready for her this time and swooped his arms in a huge motion, sending jets of the salty sea all over her. She stood up, the freezing water clinging to her clothes, hair and skin. Droplets pooled on her cheeks and her breath rose dancingly into the air. She panted, mouth open, looking at him. He stood smugly with his arms over his chest and a smirk on his mouth.

"If you wanted a shower, the TARDIS was more than capable. You should have said."

"Oh, you are _so_ dead," she laughed and made to scoop more water up. He dashed backwards away through the water and up the beach, keeping his eyes watching her the entire time. Her graceful movements entranced him for a minute and he almost didn't notice as she made towards him. He grinned and laughed, turning on his heel and dashing along the beach with Rose in tow.

"Come back here, you coward!" she shouted as she ran, already falling behind.

"Can't hear you!" he called back gleefully over his shoulder, which was more than a lie. "You'll have to do better than that!"

He wasn't expecting her burst of speed. Mind you, a good few months' running away from aliens must pay off somewhere. He turned, expecting to see her a long way behind. He was therefore surprised to see her just a few short metres away. She caught up with him in no time and hit her fists against his chest, her laughter breaking over him like the waves on the shore.

"Look at me!" she cried, standing back from him and casting a look down herself, panting. "I'm soaked!"

It was true. Her jeans were dark and clinging to her curves in a startlingly attractive way, whilst her white top had begun to turn transparent. Thank God for the appropriately positioned design across the front, he thought idly.

"You went into the sea," he pointed out with a smile. "You can't go into the sea and not get wet. That just isn't right. And to be fair, you started it."

"I said I wanted to go for a _paddle_, Doctor, not a bloody bath."

"You _did_ go for a paddle. It was just more of an all-over paddle than a foot paddle."

"Oh... just... you!" she groaned eventually, her mind blank of appropriate insults.

"Me, what?" he grinned back smugly, enjoying this power he had over her.

She hit him in the shoulder with a stiffly balled fist. He merely grinned and winked, taking it in his stride. "You're so full of it!"

"Yup!" the Doctor agreed. He cocked his head to the side. "Love me really, though."

"Don't be so sure," Rose retorted, taking a ball of her shirt in her hand and wringing it out. "It's jus' like you said, Doctor. People can change."

His piercing eyes looked to her for a minute, his hearts racing faster than he had ever known them to before. His breath caught a little in his throat and he felt the sea on his hands begin to warm with sweat. He watched as she continued to wring out her top, apparently oblivious to the effect her words had just had. Had she meant that she _did_...? He frowned to himself and shook his head. He must have had too many chips, or something. Got too caught up in the atmosphere. He was hearing things, he was sure. Hearing things that hadn't been said. Seeing things that hadn't happened. Feeling things that hadn't – shouldn't – be felt. His hearts skipped a beat.


	4. Chapter 4

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**'Cause I can't help thinking, **

**And I don't look down. **

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His mind was going again. All the times he 'would have' and 'could have'. More importantly, the times when he 'would never have', simply because everything had been wrong. Most things were wrong, he realised. The things he could draw up on a list would make it far too long. He was an alien, to her. She was an alien, to him. He was a Time Lord. She was a Human. All right, so probably one of the closest thing to a Time Lords _was_ a human, but it was just the tip of the iceberg. She had family, friends, a life. He was just himself, alone, a wanderer. There was a world, a galaxy, of differences between them. But suddenly, right now, it didn't matter. Right now, it didn't matter that he had seen more in the entire universe than she had ever imagined. It didn't matter that they were worlds apart, that they should never have found each other, that they were 'incompatible' in more ways than just one. Because she was here, with him, and wouldn't choose anywhere else in the universe. And neither would he. What did that make it, then? Was this the universe telling him, 'Oh, by the way, I'm about to send you someone who actually makes your life worth living but you'll never be able to do anything about it because I'm just that cruel'? Certainly seemed like it. But why him? And why now? This sort of thing didn't happen to him: had never happened to him. It was all a tangle of misunderstood mistakes, he was sure, and one day she would wake up and realise it.

"Doctor? You alright?"

Her worried, soft voice broke through his thoughts and shattered them into a million pieces.

"Yeah," he assured, looking up and grinning to her, his troubles falling away. "Never better."


	5. Chapter 5

**--------------------------------------------------------------------**

**And then I looked up at the sun and I could see **

**Oh, the way that gravity turns for you and me; **

**--------------------------------------------------------------------**

They were hand in hand again. Walking silently across the beach, the sand squelching beneath their feet, their shivering bodies looking for comfort. He liked the feel of her hand in his. Always had done, in fact. The way they just seemed to _fit_ together so easily – it was astounding. Soft and gentle, a small caress that could mean the universe. Or, for her, just her mate taking her by the hand and leading her away.

The sea washed up the shore beside them, just a few feet away from where they were walking. The beach was not large, maybe half a mile in diameter. Seagulls cawed mockingly from above them as the Doctor looked up, squinting into the morning sun. He stopped walking and, consequently, Rose drew to a stop beside him.

"What is it?" she asked, looking up and following his trail of sight. She couldn't see anything of interest, unless you counted that cloud that looked vaguely like a deformed elephant. Three legs and no trunk. Poor thing.

"I was just... thinking..." he said at last, looking down to her again, his eyes churning like the waves.

"Yeah?"

"Yup. 'Bout all sorts of things. But mostly about when we first met; d'you remember that?"

Her hand tightened around his, and she smiled gently. "How could I forget? You were just as bossy then as you are now."

"Watch it, you," he grinned cheerfully. "I could change my mind, y'know. Leave you 'ere for the dogs."

"You wouldn't, though. Can't live without me – someone's gotta get you out of all that trouble you get yourself into."

He laughed affectionately, his eyes gazing gently across her face. She was soaked and covered with sand; but she was beautiful - in that subtle, gentle way that had captured him in that basement with the Autons.

"Why?" he asked to no one in particular after a moment or two, frowning out to the horizon of the sea. "Why are you the one who has to get me out of all the trouble? I was fine before you, y'know. Just fine. Coped perfectly with anything, I did. And now all of a sudden, I'm being dragged off to Earth to eat chips and run down a beach. All because I met a stupid little ape a year ago today who caught me on a bad day and ended up saving my life. Fan_tas_tic."

Rose tilted her head and looked at him, his profile silhouetted against the backdrop of rocks behind them.

"A year today?" she asked, amazed. It hadn't felt like a year. It had barely even felt like a week, though it had to be longer than that.

The Doctor looked to her and frowned.

"What?" he asked confusedly. Then he realised he must have been speaking out loud. "Oh, no, not a year for us. A year today by Earth standards."

Her eyes widened. "So you mean, this is the day the Slitheen fake that crash into the Thames?"

He blinked at her, before his face pulled into a huge grin.

"You, Rose Tyler, are fantastic. Yes, this is the day, I suppose. The day the world changed. Your world. How's it feel to be at the other end of it?"

"Bit strange, I s'pose, thinkin' about it. There's another you an' me runnin' around, only up in London. Bit weird."

"Yeah," he grinned, glancing down to the floor and shaking his head laughingly. "Yeah, I guess it is."

A beat of silence followed, in which a gentle breeze picked up again and ruffled Rose's hair. The Doctor watched it twirl and smiled – he liked it when it was windswept. It made her look like she had just run away from a hostile alien. Made her look like the way she looked when she was with him, he realised.

Rose brought in a long breath and looked around them.

"So, how long then?"

"What?"

She looked back at him, their gaze locking. "How long have we known each other?"

The Doctor grinned at her, pulling her a little closer to him. The cold air was beginning to play at his features and he was pleased for her warmth.

"About... eight months, three weeks, four days, fifteen hours and... if my timing's right..." he paused for a moment, a frown on his face. Rose watched him interestedly until he looked back to her, his eyes soft. "Thirty seven minutes! And roughly eight months, three weeks, four days, fourteen hours and twelve minutes since we had that jolly old talk on the bridge about my being an alien. That was good."

"You mean where you went on about all that stuff 'bout 'clinging to Earth and not letting go', before telling me to forget about you?"

"You've got a good memory. I'll remember that the next time we play cards," he smiled, pleased that she remembered just as well as he did. Before he could stop himself, the Doctor reached up and tucked some hair delicately behind Rose's ear. He let his fingers curl all the way around, before coming to a stop and cupping her cheek tenderly. She smiled back at him and swallowed, his touch a strange feeling on her bitter cheek.

"And after all this time," he said quietly, his voice soft above the breeze. "You know what?"

"What?" Rose asked obediently, her heart racing and her cheek flushing beneath his touch. Breathing had suddenly become much more of an effort.

The look in his eyes was sincere and temperate, his breathing calm beneath his chest.

"We're still clinging. You an' me both. We could let go at any moment, but we don't. We just... stand here..."

"Clinging," Rose agreed quietly, her eyes searching his.

So that was that. Two people fighting to hold on. And just this once, the Doctor decided, he really, really didn't want to let go.


	6. Chapter 6

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**And then I looked up at the sky and saw the sun **

**And the way that gravity pulls on everyone... on everyone. **

**-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

"You're cold," the Doctor said at length, his thumb brushing back and forth across her cheek.

Rose blinked up at him, her logical thought having packed up and left her the moment his hand had reached for her cheek.

"...What?"

He smiled gently and lowered his hand from her face. "Your cheek," he explained, his voice tinted with worry. "It's freezing. We should get you back to the TARDIS."

"Right old mother hen, you are," she laughed, bashing her shoulder against his affectionately and tightening her grip on his hand.

"Well excuse _me_ for not wanting you to die of hypothermia. Can you imagine the look on your Mum's face if I told her you'd died of a bleeding cold? Never mind all the aliens we face on a daily basis."

"Just a bit longer?" Rose pleaded, looking up to him with large, round eyes. He hesitated, his indecision evident. Then her fingers began to tickle the back of his hand and the decision was made. Hats off to her; she knew how to get her way.

"We've eaten chips, raced down to the beach, had a water fight and had a walk. 'S'not really much else to do, is there?"

Rose's face lit up and she grinned, stealing her hand away from his. He was reluctant and almost didn't let her go – he didn't _want_ to let her go. But she had something up her sleeve, and he wanted to find out what it was.

"What are you thinking?" he grinned with an amused frown.

Her eyes shone up at him daringly. "Race."

"What?"

"You said we 'raced' down the beach. We didn't race. We just ran."

"Oh, I see," he replied with a smile, the realisation dawning on him. "You want to _race_. Why, Rose, I never knew you were the type who enjoyed losing."

"Oi!" she laughed, hitting him across the shoulder with the back of her hand. "It ain't over 'til the fat lady sings!"

"That'd be interesting – I've never heard your mother sing."

Rose's face darkened with mock anger, but her humour was not far behind.

"All right then, cheeky chops; here's the deal. We race from here to that clump of seaweed over there. If I win, you have to come with me on a visit to Mum and stay the night over."

"Oh, no," the Doctor disagreed instantly, shaking his head. "I told you, I don't do domestic. And I'm not going anywhere _near_ your mother. My cheek likes to remain unslapped, thank you very much."

Rose giggled and reached for his arm. "Hang on. You haven't heard what happens if _you_ win. And seeing as you're so confident that I'll lose, what've you got to... well, lose?"

The Doctor frowned at for a moment, folding his arms.

"All right then, what do _I_ get?"

"I'll clean up after you for a whole week without any complaints."

The Doctor burst out laughing, torn between amused and unamused.

"Nope! Definitely – no – deal. TARDIS cleans herself, and I don't make that much mess anyway."

Rose snorted with disagreement, but he ignored it.

"Tell you what," he said carefully, stepping towards her, his arms still crossed. "If you win, I'll do that damn thing with your mother. Tea included. I'm not stayin' over, though – a few hours with her is enough for any man, Time Lord or no. But," he added hastily, seeing that Rose was about to protest in defence, "if _I _win, you have to make a huge poster that says, 'Rose eats too many chips' and stick it on the side of the TARDIS. The _out_side. For all eyes to see, wherever and whenever we land."

She hesitated for a moment, and the Doctor enjoyed his moment of victory. There was no _way_ she would go for that, especially since they both knew he was the better runner.

Rose sighed. "I'll do it. On one condition."

"You can't _add_ to it!" the Doctor exclaimed, mortified. Her accepting his challenge had not been a part of his plan. "No adding to the stakes; that's not fair."

"All I wanna do is choose _when_ we land back in London. So there's no confusion."

He raised an eyebrow and unfolded his arms, already getting tensed and ready to run. He got the impression that Rose would not be beyond cheating, ever so slightly. Which was fine: he would do the same.

"Oh? When's that, then?" he asked suspiciously. Knowing Rose, she'd choose some sort of awful holiday. Oh God, he thought with a shudder – _please_, not Mother's Day. That would just be the icing on the cake, wouldn't it?

"My birthday. My twentieth, April 17th."

He cocked his head and smiled to her gently, a sudden warmth flowing through him. For some reason, the sentiment touched him.

"All right," he agreed kindly, his voice soft. "We'll go back for your birthday. Can't deprive you of that, I s'pose. Not while I'm carting you 'round the universe."

"Okay!" she grinned. "Go!"

"What? Hey, that's not fair!" the Doctor complained after her as she began to run. He followed soon afterwards, his bare feet padding on the sand beneath him.

"All's fair in love and war, Doctor," Rose called back cheerfully, her hair flapping out behind her.

War, was it? He'd give her war, he thought with a grin, putting on a burst of speed. He gained on her in no time, her arms swinging out just in front of him. Pushing himself that little bit further, he sped a little past her and cackled with delight. Oh, this would be a fine day. 'Rose Tyler eats too many chips' – what sort of paper? Pink? Orange? Luminous green? Perhaps he'd just settle with plain old black and white, that always went down well...

His thoughts were interrupted when Rose swore, very loudly and very forcibly. It was just as well they were the only ones on the beach; language like that would get them expelled from the premises. He turned in time to see her stumble to the ground, clutching her foot. A deep red crimson leaked from in between her toes and began seeping into the sand, staining it that terrifying colour.

The Doctor was at her side in a moment, taking her foot in his hands to examine it. Rose bit back a shriek of pain as the blood poured like a river. He looked up to her worriedly and put a calming hand on her knee. She opened her eyes and looked at him, her eyes red with stinging tears.

With a small nod and a smile, he delved into the depths of his jacket and pulled out the sonic screwdriver. Fumbling with its settings, he quickly changed it to replace human skin tissue then hovered it above the cut on Rose's foot, frowning at it impatiently as it buzzed into action. The wound was healed in no time, the blood stopped and the cut vanished.

"Not even so much as a scar," the Doctor said brightly, feigning cheerfulness. Rose blinked, looking from him to the screwdriver. The pain had completely evaporated and now the tears in her eyes had no reason to be there.

"Didn't know that thing could heal skin."

"One of the many, many settings," he replied, helping her to her feet and brushing idly at the sand on her legs. Realising what he was doing, however, he coughed and straightened up, putting a hand comfortingly on her arm. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Just a piece of glass, I think."

She cast a look over her shoulder, where the offending shard stuck out of the ground like the blade of a knife. She shuddered to see that it was covered with her blood. The Doctor stalked over to it and plucked it from the ground, staring at it as though he could melt it with just his eyes. In his head, he was cursing some of the more colourful words of the Gallifreyan language; if he ever found the idiot who'd left this here, he would hunt them down and make sure they died a slow and painful death.

"Stupid apes!" the Doctor cursed angrily. "They'll go through their entire existence leaving litter behind them and thinking it's okay. Too lazy to pick up after themselves, think it's all right just to leave things behind for anyone to deal with. Figure any old person will just come along and clean up after them. All the while, laying death traps for unsuspecting visitors. I mean, honestly," he lifted the bottle to his nose and sniffed. "Who drinks _Country Manor_ on the beach, for pity's sake?"

"Doctor," Rose laughed, smiling at him affectionately. "I'm all right, yeah? It's just a bi' of glass."

He met her eye defiantly, worry still surging through him. "And what if I hadn't been here? You'd have bled to bloody death and no one would be there to help you."

"If you hadn't've been here, I wouldn't have been running, would I?" she pointed out.

The Doctor's face fell as guilt began to write itself across his features. Rose instantly recognised that she had said the wrong thing and stepped forwards, taking his hand. His fingers curled around hers as he watched her.

"It's not your fault," she said reassuringly. "It's not anyone's fault. I just didn't look where I was going. Tha's all. And it's all right now, so what's the problem?"

The problem was that at any moment, something like that could happen and he wouldn't be able to fix it. Something small and innocent would happen to her and then she would be torn away from him, leaving just a memory. All the people on this stupid, stupid planet, and it was she he cared most about. But that was probably because she wasn't part of this world any more. He had taken her away from that and, in the meantime, she had become something else. Something new. Someone that relied on him to be there to protect her. When had that happened? When had she stopped being just somebody else, another part of 'everyone'? He wasn't sure. But, thinking about it now, he wouldn't have changed it for the world. There was just too much to hold on to.


	7. Chapter 7

**----------------------------------------------------**

**Baby, It's been a long time waiting; **

**Such a long, long time. **

**----------------------------------------------------**

They had been walking back up the beach, hand in hand, with the wind kicking up around them. The Doctor's eyes had been trailing the ground carefully, keeping an eye out for all the nasty things that might want to slice his companion's foot in half, despite the fact that they had found their shoes and replaced them. But Rose had caught his attention again with her question.

"So, how big d'you want the poster?"

He looked to her, momentarily confused. "What poster?"

"Don't make me say it," she smiled, tilting her head to one side. "Writing the thing's gonna be bad enough."

"Oh," he replied, realising she was talking about their bet. He shook his head and went back to looking over the floor. "Why would you make the poster? Nobody won."

"You would have, though."

"Maybe. But I didn't. And I wasn't the one whose foot got attacked by glass."

He glanced at the shard in his hand, the remnants of the bottom of a wine bottle, he assumed. He had refused to just drop it back into the sand, especially after the song and dance he had made about litter. So now he had to carry it all the way back to the TARDIS and find somewhere to put it. Or, as Rose pointed out a little later, he could just put it in a bin.

"Anyway, I think after that, you deserve to win anyway."

"Oh, Doctor, you can't be serious. I was kidding!"

"I never joke, Rose," he argued, before frowning and thinking to himself. "Okay, so I do," he amended. "But not about this. It's your birthday we're talking about; I'm not going to make you wait for that. You don't really _get_ 'birthdays' in the TARDIS. So I'll just drop you off for a day or so, let you catch up with everyone. I'm sure they've missed you."

"But that's the thing. It's _not_ my birthday. I don't really want one. I mean, it's not important now, is it? A year sort of... doesn't mean anything when you're hoppin' about all over the place."

"Well, no, but you _have_ been waiting to pop back an visit your Mum. And what better time than a celebration like that? Might want to ring her in advance, though – give her some time to prepare."

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" she asked as the stepped up the hill of pebbles separating the beach and the road.

"Nope!" the Doctor grinned cheerfully. "You haven't got a choice, I'm afraid. I'm the pilot and I decide where we're going."

"I thought you hated the thought of tea with Mum," Rose grumbled as their feet crunched on the stones.

"I do," he agreed. "Can't see why you love it so much. But I won't be there, I'm afraid. Got stuff to do."

Rose stopped, causing the Doctor to stumble slightly on the stones. When he'd regained his footing, he looked back to her. "What?"

"If you think you're jus' goin' off an' leavin' me, you've got another thing comin'."

"But, I – "

"I don't care if you sit around in the TARDIS for twenty-four hours, you ain't goin' anywhere. Not without me." Rose continued, her tone stern like a mother's. The Doctor raised an eyebrow. He had never intended to leave anyway, not in a million years – but this conversation was too interesting to pass up.

"Oh yeah? And how would you stop me?"

"Wouldn't leave until you promised. I'd just sit there until you said so."

He sighed, feigning disdain. In truth, he was quite touched that she so desperately wanted to stay by his side.

"All right. I won't go anywhere. Happy?"

Rose frowned. Obviously not the reaction she had been expecting.

"So... that's it? You're jus' gonna... sit there? For a whole day? Not even gonna come and say hi?"

"Yup," he confirmed with a smirk, beginning to walk again. "Got it in one."

She followed behind him, their hands still linked. "You won't even come in for a cuppa?"

The Doctor shuddered inwardly.

"Can't imagine anything worse, Rose," he admitted. "Look, I brought you here for chips because you wanted them. Please don't make me go over this again. She's your mother, not mine. I don't have anything to do with her, and I want it to stay that way. Soon as people start thinking I'm constant, everything goes wrong. So I'd rather not bother."

"But what about me?" she persisted, unable to hide the hurting in her voice.

"What _about_ you?"

That had come out harsher than he'd meant. And she picked up on it. She wriggled his hand out of his grip and stalked angrily past him, over the brow of the hill of stones and over the road below. He closed his eyes and mentally kicked himself for not thinking before speaking, then picked up a jog and darted after her. He hadn't meant to her hurt her; she just didn't seem to understand that he didn't do that. Any of it. It was too dangerous to get involved personally, and he was not about to start now. He began to wonder just how long he would have to wait for her to figure it out.


	8. Chapter 8

**-----------------------------------**

**And I can't stop smiling, **

**No I can't stop now. **

**-----------------------------------**

As it turned out, Rose was much faster than he'd anticipated. She disappeared around the corner behind the restaurant into the back alley where he'd left the TARDIS. He rounded the corner just in time to see her slip inside – on a scale of one to ten, he figured as he followed her, she was probably at about seven on the irritated scale. He waltzed into the console room and shut the door loudly behind him. She was standing over the controls, defiantly not looking at him. He sauntered over, his hands in his pockets. For a second or two, the Doctor let his eyes graze over her: her shrugged shoulders, her distant attitude. Definitely angry. But then he grinned and looked to the TARDIS instead.

"So, April 17th, yeah?" he asked brightly, heading for the controls. Rose cleared her throat and didn't look at him.

"Look, let's just not bother. There's no point anyway."

The Doctor let out a drawn sigh and folded his arms. "This is about the cup of tea thing, isn't it? The fact that I won't come with you when you're havin' a good old laugh. Well, I'm sorry Rose, but it's just not what I do."

"It's not jus' about that," she defended quickly, shaking her head and looking to him. "I mean, you jus'... I thought you might wanna..."

He stepped towards her carefully, his eyes stern. "Might want to... what?" he asked carefully, though he had a sneaking suspicion he already knew the answer.

"Doesn't matter," Rose shrugged and turned away from him, heading towards the door of the TARDIS corridors.

"Obviously it does, or you wouldn't be in a mood with me."

She whirled around, ever so slightly angry. "I am _not_ in a mood!"

He raised an eyebrow and hid the smile that threatened to break out over his lips. "No? Then what's with the runnin' off?"

"I wanted some exercise," she reasoned, her voice hinting on cold. "Tha's all. Why're you askin', anyway? 'S not like you care about my well-being."

"Oh, so the next time I grab your hand and tell you to run, that'll be out of what, then? Fun? Obligation?"

"Yeah. 'Cause I'm just another stupid ape."

Her voice was harsh and the Doctor was a little taken aback. Since when had she turned into someone who was so easily offended? He unfolded his arms and continued towards her, looking at her questioningly. She refused to meet his gaze, keeping her head turned from him; but she didn't move when he stood a few inches from her, either.

"No," the Doctor said softly. Despite herself, Rose brought her head around to look him square in the eye. His eyes were firm yet gentle, his face sincere.

"No, what?" she challenged. "No, I'm not another stupid ape? No, you care about me? No, you'll come in for a bit of tea?"

She watched him, her breathing heavy and her forehead pulled into a light frown. He just looked back at her, his face soft and the smallest traces of a content smile on his lips. He slowly reached his arm out, taking her hand. She let him.

"Just, no," her replied gently, meeting her eye and pushing his calloused fingers through hers.

Rose blinked at him for a moment or two, before looking shyly down to the floor.

"I jus'... I wish you'd..."

"Wishing is a dangerous thing, Rose," the Doctor said wisely, not taking his eyes off her. "I should know. If this is about the birthday thing, you have to know, I'm not gonna change. And it's not 'cause I don't care, or even that I don't want to. Part of me wishes that I _could_ be there with you. Really and truly. But things are the way they are. I don't do that. It's too much of a risk."

She looked up at him pointedly, her anger falling away. "It's just tea."

The Doctor smiled wryly. "It starts as just tea," he countered gently, squeezing her hand. "If it were just tea, that would be fine. But it's never just tea, Rose. First it's tea, then it's dinner, then it's staying the night for a quick kip. Next thing you know, I'm goin' out with you an' your mates down the pub and takin' you out shopping down Marks & Sparks."

He dropped her hand and began to pace as he talked, collecting further inquiring looks from Rose as she watched him. "Then there's the questioning, awkward looks from your family when they see me take your hand, and the automatic assumption that we're..." He trailed off, their gaze locking gently, his hand resting lightly on the console of the controls.

"And, after all that, there's the hesitation to leave, because we're so pulled in it begins to feel safe and right, and there's not a damned thing either of us can do about it. Eventually it ends with us being back here in the TARDIS, like this, all the more confused with the boundaries all over the place. So of course, the next time we 'pop in' to see your Mum, you take me by the hand and we walk in like we belong, like there's no where else we have to be. We start being familiar faces, appearing in photographs, _recognised_. Before you know it, we'll be invited out to parties and goin' to the cinema, and living like the humans we aren't."

She was biting her lip with a slight frown. The Doctor walked away from the console and stood in front of her, looking down from his tall height. He hesitated a moment, before reaching for both of her hands with his, clasping them to his chest. "You see, Rose? I just... I can't. I can't change. 'Cause all that'll happen, and more, and then it'll be hell tryin' to sort out exactly where we are with each other."

Rose looked up into his face, a shy, inquisitive look spreading over her.

"And where's that, Doctor?" she asked gently.

He swallowed, his mouth open a few millimetres, before letting a grin spread right across his face. If only she knew the battle that was raging inside of him. That little voice, tucked deeply away in the pit of his mind: _tell her, tell her, tell her, tell her, tell her..._ It was getting so difficult to ignore. The Doctor licked his bottom lip nervously, his hazy blue eyes finding a hold on her. The indecision was clear on him as his hands tightened around hers. Did she have any idea, he wondered? Did she know the power she had over him? Could she see what she was doing to him? He'd probably never find out find out.


	9. Chapter 9

**-----------------------------------------------------**

**And do you hear my heart beating? **

**And can you hear that sound? **

**-----------------------------------------------------**

His hearts raced as Rose shifted her hands in his, angling them over the left part of his chest. He watched, mesmerised, as her fingers, in his, drummed delicately on his chest. He fought back the shiver that ran through him at the touch. Her eyes drifted up to him and she smiled.

"Two heartbeats," she spoke quietly with wonder, her eyes shining.

The Doctor nodded, with a grin. "Two hearts," he reminded. Her gaze shifted down to his shirt again, her eyes seemingly locked on where their hands were clasped. It was all he could do to keep his legs from buckling at that look across her face.

His heartbeats sped up, racing like the London the marathon runners, bursting with pride and excitement and her exquisite touch. His breath was smooth and slow, tickling the hair around her forehead as he exhaled. The Doctor swallowed again, silently, as a small frown flickered over her face before she looked up to him again. The statement was plain across her face: she'd felt the speed of his heartbeats.

"Well," he choked out, abashed to hear his voice slightly broken. He let go of her hands and stepped back a little, blinking at the TARDIS controls. A thick fog seemed to have taken his mind, and he couldn't think properly. "I s'pose we'd best be off, then."

"Yeah," Rose said quietly with a shrug. The sound of her feet turning on the grille of the TARDIS floor echoed around the silent room.

The Doctor watched her with a frown as she made for the corridor.

"You sure you won't go?" he asked tentatively and saw her slow but not turn.

"Never liked birthdays much anyway," she mumbled quietly. "'Sides, I'm sure there's loads more out there better than hangin' 'round Earth, yeah?" She did turn now, her eyes large and pleading. "Find somewhere nice. We– _I'll _– do the birthday thing another time."

He listened to her footsteps ebb away down the corridor, his face pulled into a calmness as he watched her go.

Without a word, the Doctor turned and made his way around the controls of the TARDIS, pulling a lever here, pushing a button there. He looked up to the door silently, his eyes glittering in a sombre silence as he hovered his hand over a dial.

"That's what you think," he said quietly, and the TARDIS disappeared into the realms of time and space.


	10. Chapter 10

**-----------------------------------------**

**'Cause I can't help crying; **

**And I won't look down. **

**------------------------------------------**

There was a knock at her bedroom door not long after she had disappeared into its safety. Rose, who was lying on her bed gazing through a photograph album looked up.

"Who is it?" she asked without thinking.

There was a slight pause as, on the other side of the door, the Doctor frowned.

"Er... It's me," he called back, his Northern edge floating to Rose through her door. She laughed embarrassedly and invited him, her attention returning to the album in her arms.

The Doctor walked in, a mixture of amusement and confusion on his face. He leant easily against the frame, his eyes gliding over her while she read.

"Who'd you think it was?" he questioned lightly, his attention fixed on her: nothing else in the room seemed to matter. "The Loch Ness Monster?"

She looked up and blinked at him.

"You're not gonna tell me you've had the Loch Ness Monster in 'ere, are you? 'Cause honestly, Doctor, I don't think the locks on my door are that strong."

He laughed, a full, entertained laugh. He also seemed to miss the fact that she wasn't joking.

"Nah," he answered with a grin. Then, as an afterthought – "Old Nessie's usually fairly good 'bout knocking, anyway."

Rose gaped at him, making him laugh further. With a grin that would melt the coldest of marble stones, he sauntered innocently over to her, peering at the photograph album as he did so. She closed it before he could look. With the smallest of pouts, he shrugged and sat down on the bed by her feet, his hands clasped between his knees. The Doctor sat for a moment or two watching her, the dim lights of the TARDIS throwing dancing embers in his gentle eyes and shadows across his defined face.

"Hello," he said softly, at a loss for anything else to say.

With a look that was between a frown and a smile, Rose considered him.

"Hi..." she responded slowly, not quite sure why he had come in to her room. Usually he would give her details of where they were next headed and suggest she change to 'fit in'. Like that ever made a difference – they always got noticed wherever he went.

This appeared to be different.

At her reply, the Doctor's face cracked into a wide smile, his eyes lighting up. He made no attempt to continue.

Not being able to take it any more, Rose snorted with amusement and shook her head laughingly.

"You're mad," she told him softly, affectionately. His grin merely widened.

"As a hatter," he a agreed with a nod. He stood up, his eyes roaming her bedroom for the first time since he could remember. He wandered over to her dresser and picked idly at her bits and pieces of make-up, perfume, hairspray... He mentally counted over forty two items of accessory, his brain working fast. "D'you know where that expression comes from?" he asked as he pondered, flicking his finger at the tip of a make-up brush.

"What expression?" Rose asked, watching him interestedly as he pawed through her items.

The Doctor stopped for a moment and looked up, his eyes meeting hers.

"Mad as a hatter."

She shrugged, figuring that he would tell her whether she knew or not.

He smiled wryly and looked back to the dresser, replacing the brush and picking up a bottle of perfume.

"It comes from the mercury poisoning hatters used to get in earlier centuries on Earth," he explained distantly, his eyes on the bottle of perfume. "Results of the fumes from putting the liquid mercury over heat." He uncapped the bottle and brought the tip to his nose. Rose watched in suppressed awe. "Used to drive them quite mad – literally. Not a pleasant turn of phrase, come to think of it." The Doctor brought his head up again and looked Rose firmly in the eye. "Why do you wear this stuff?"

Rose, a little taken aback by the question, stumbled over her words. "I... Er..."

"I mean, don't get me wrong; I _like_ it," the Doctor shrugged, replacing the cap and putting it back on the table. "You just don't need it. That's all. Oh, wait... hang on..."

He cocked his head to the side, frowning to himself as he fell into deep thought.

"Cinnamon," he continued thoughtfully, his eyes having adopted a somewhat glazed tone. "With... a hint of... Ginger, I think. And a little Musk, too."

His eyes came up again as he drifted back to reality. Rose's gaze had never left him, the wonder apparent in her eyes.

"That's not the one you wear," the Doctor observed quietly, his gaze intense. Was it just her, or did the temperature in the room just rocket by about sixty degrees?

Rose swallowed and slipped the photo album surreptitiously under her covers, blinking widely at the Doctor. He had certainly adopted a very strange, inquisitive nature.

"Nah," she choked out at last, realising the Doctor had been expecting an answer.

His eyes glittered. "Why? It's nice."

She frowned, despite herself. The Doctor caught her expression and chuckled.

"Not that what you usually wear isn't nice," he added softly, amusedly. "Like it more, actually. But, y'know. Know what I mean. Why stick to just one if you're goin' to bother at all?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean," she sighed, tiredness suddenly creeping up on her like a nervous deer through a wood. But she smiled wryly and blushed, ever so slightly, at what he'd said.

And, of course, the Doctor noticed.

"What?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Her smile broke into a grin. "'S'nothing," she mumbled, her tongue tucked into the corner of her mouth between her teeth. The Doctor quirked an eyebrow.

At the persistent look he gave her, Rose gave in.

"It's jus'... Well, I don't, really. Wear anythin', that is. Like that. It's for... sorta... just in case..."

His face fell into embarrassed realisation as he retraced the conversation in his head and realised what he'd said. Turning his head back to the other products on the dresser, the Doctor was pleased when his blush was disguised as just a tinge in the tips of his ears.

"Oh," he coughed nervously, avoiding her eye. What more could he say?

"I do sometimes, though," Rose added hastily, feeling like she had broken some sort of unwritten code. "Bit of fun, here an' there. I mean, I am a girl after all."

"Yes, I had noticed."

His gaze was entranced with the items on the dresser again. However, feeling he had explored those as much as possible, he extended his arm to pull open the first drawer. He wasn't quite sure why he was doing so, or even why Rose was letting him. He had no real desire to know what she kept in her room and less so what she kept in the first drawer of her dresser. Well, until he saw what was in there, of course. At which point, the entire thing became highly amusing.

Seeing where his hand was headed to, Roses made to hastily get up off the bed. She could have said something – anything – to stop him from opening that drawer: but her mouth seemed to have given up. In a last desperate scramble, she fought against the quilt. Too late. The Doctor's eyes widened as he peered inside.

"Those're Shareen's," Rose reasoned quickly, her face flushing so much she felt like a stupid, red tomato. Maybe the Doctor wouldn't know what they were. Maybe he would believe her (and why shouldn't he? It was the truth... sort of...). Maybe he would just let it go.

Maybe not. When he looked up there was a smirk scrawled all over his face. He was trying not to laugh.

"Oh?" he questioned, his eyes dancing with suppressed laughter. "Can I ask what _Shareen's_ are doing in here?"

Rose sank hopelessly back on the bed, suddenly completely enthralled with the fingernails of her left hand.

"Yeah," she replied coolly, despite the temperatures that were playing havoc with her inner organs. "She bought 'em for me last time we visited. As a sort of... goin' away present, she said. Because well, um... they all thought... y'know... about us..."

"Yeah, I know," the Doctor snorted, tactfully pushing the draw closed again. "Didn't have to keep them though, did you? What, thought they'd make a nice little souvenir?"

He was grinning as he spoke, teasing her – he was enjoying this, the realised. Enjoying her discomfort. She worked up the courage to look him in the eye.

"I forgot about them," she replied pointedly, her voice only just touching on belligerent.

"Is that so?"

He took a step towards her, eyebrows raised, his eyes glittering like diamonds again. Actually, considering their colour, more like blue-tinted pearls on the sea bed.

She shifted a little uncomfortably. It had been a joke between friends at the time, and seemingly very funny. But now it was just awkward and she wished the Doctor was out in the console room, not standing a few feet away from her discussing the private contents of her drawers.

"Well. I won't tell if you won't," the Doctor shrugged quietly at last, casting a look back to the dresser. Rose blinked at him, stunned, not sure if she had heard him correctly.

"...What?"

He turned back and frowned.

"About those." He jerked his head in the rough direction of the dresser. "Don't imagine you'd want that gettin' 'round the universe. Might bring up all sorts of misconceptions about what we get up to in the depths of time and space. And sayin' that, I wouldn't go challenging me to a race any time soon, either – imagine the poster!"

He was grinning again, stupidly, completely unaware to the torture that was ripping through her. She couldn't meet his eye. Suddenly aware that he had touched a nerve, his grin vanished, and he made to sit on the bed again. She almost – _almost_ – flinched.

He put a hand out calmingly to her ankle: mostly because it was the only part of her he could reach.

"I'm sorry," he said earnestly, watching her carefully and running a thumb comfortingly over her skin. She'd kicked off her shoes earlier, leaving them strewn in the middle of the floor. Her eyes rose to meet his and there was urgent hesitancy in her look. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

She gulped down a lump of rushing emotions, increasingly aware of the tears that were beginning to sting her eyes.

"'Doesn't matter," she replied with a small sigh, glancing down again. The Doctor nodded slowly, taking the hint. He wouldn't push it.

"Okay," he accepted softly with the smallest hints of a smile. "But you know where to find me if it... er... does."

He made to stand, to leave her in peace. He would surprise her with the planet they had landed on some other time. She didn't appear to be in the state for it now. But as he stood, Rose leant forward, reaching for his hand. He turned his head to look at her, his eyes gentle. She was looking up at him, her eyes large, her face scared. Quite of what, he didn't know; he also didn't know how to fix it. She suddenly looked so vulnerable it was all he could do not to bend down and sweep her into a hug – but he somehow got the impression that that wasn't what she needed right now.

"What is it, Rose?" he asked, his voice tender and quiet.

"I jus' – I dunno – "

It was true. She really didn't know why she had gone for the Doctor's hand like that. Just that she didn't want him to leave. He had never been around her like this, and she wasn't just going to let it slip away.

"I'm... tired..." Rose answered at last, at a loss for anything else to say. He blinked down at her for a moment as she pulled tentatively at his hand.

"If you're tired, you should sleep," he answered sternly, not taking his eyes off her.

"Real Sherlock Holmes, you are."

He grinned at her – but it faded when he realised she was still holding his hand, not letting him go. Not that he _wanted_ to go. He wanted what she wanted: what he could see in her eyes. To lie down next to her, take her in his arms and let sleep enfold them both. He hadn't slept in so long... But he wouldn't bring himself to give in to temptation, of either sleep _or_ Rose.

"I should be getting back to the TARDIS," the Doctor reasoned eventually. It was a lie, and they both knew it, but it was better than the indecision he was stuck in like No Man's Land. "Won't fix itself, y'know."

Rose nodded slowly before uncurling her hand from his.

"Right," she sighed glumly. "So I'll just... sleep, then, yeah?"

"If you're tired," the Doctor nodded.

"Right."

A pause, in which he nearly turned for the door. There was nothing holding him back now, after all. Well – nothing physical.

"But I'm not."

He blinked.

"Not what?"

"Tired."

"Oh." He frowned. "You said you were."

"Yeah, I know, but I'm not. All right?"

"All right."

"So..."

There was another pause as they considered each other for a moment.

"Look, Rose if there's something you want to say, just say it."

She raised an eyebrow to him questioningly.

"'Scuse me, who's the one who barged in here without a reason?"

"I didn't barge!" the Doctor defended instantly. He then frowned to himself and glanced to the floor. "But yeah, I s'pose you're right."

Rose let out an exasperated sigh and stared down to the covers, the corner of her photograph album digging uncomfortably into her leg. She wished she'd thought of a better place to hide it: but she had had to think fast, because she hadn't exactly wanted the Doctor to find that she had been leafing through photos of her and Mickey together. He might have gotten offended.

"So, you gonna go off to the TARDIS then? Or you gonna sit here with me here?" she asked at last, a clipped tone to her voice. She didn't look at him. She didn't need to – not to know his answer. The second question had been more of a teasing joke, really. Sort of.

Taken aback by the abruptness of the question, the Doctor started. He blinked and made to move. _TARDIS it is, then_, he thought idly.

But rather than listen to his decision, his body made to sit next to her on the bed.

Rose looked up, evidently just as shocked as he was. He hadn't meant to do that. He'd meant to leave, go off and amuse himself, read something, look at the aquarium, count his pairs of socks. Something else. Anything else. But he'd sat down. With Rose. On the bed. And as their he held her gaze in a moment that lasted an eternity, he felt his hearts begin to race.


	11. Chapter 11

**-----------------------------------------------------------------**

**And then I looked up at the sun and I could see **

**Oh, the way that gravity turns on you and me; **

**------------------------------------------------------------------**

They must have sat there for an entire minute not saying anything. Their eyes refused to shift from one another, as if moving would mean breaking the spell they had both fallen under. It was the Doctor who first broke the silent magic, but his eyes were soft.

"You gonna sleep then, or what? I'm not just sittin' here lookin' pretty."

Rose laughed to herself before slipping back, her head against the headboard. The Doctor grinned at her and reached for her hand. He coaxed her gently into closing her eyes which, after a moment or two, she did.

"See?" he asked softly, blinking at her with compassion. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

She opened one eye exaggeratedly to look at him, her eyebrow rising with it. She looked so comical that he almost burst out laughing.

"You're not gonna disappear off, are you?" she asked with a slight frown. "'Cause quite honestly, Doctor, it'd be better if you just went off now. It's weird wakin' up alone when you fell asleep with someone."

The Doctor raised an interested eyebrow.

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," he commented, doing well to hide the dark tone in his voice. Any fool who would up and leave Rose while she was sleeping deserved to be shown a thing or two about being a gentleman. "And no, I'm not goin' anywhere."

Rose looked away from him, but was comforted when his fingers began to make their way around hers.

"It's jus', y'know..." she tried to explain with a motion of her free hand. "You go to sleep an' it's all warm. But then you wake up and everythin's cold 'cause it's not what you fell asleep with. If you... get what I mean."

He laughed wryly, sighing out through his nose. Gently, tenderly, he shifted slightly up the bed. When his eyes fell on hers, she didn't look away.

"Yeah, I get you."

She had to work very hard to remember to keep breathing. It had suddenly become very difficult to regulate the rise and fall of her chest, and the thumping of her heart wasn't helping.

And then, with no warning whatsoever, the Doctor stood and slipped his hand out of Rose's, heading over to the other side the room. She looked up at him, her heart now plummeting to the depths of her stomach. Of course he wasn't going to say. He didn't do things like that. She was tired, and the TARDIS needed fixing. Perfect combination.

Rose watched mutely as the Doctor headed slowly over to the door, her body getting heavier with every step he took. He reached for the handle and hesitated, before casting a look back at the girl on the bed. She was just blinking at him, confused. Hurt. With the smallest of sighs, and the tiniest of smiles, he shut the door. With him still in the room.

"Sorry," he chirped brightly, his manic grin appearing again. "You know what they say about draughts. And I can't exactly have you catching a cold, can I?"


	12. Chapter 12

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**And then I looked up at the sun and saw the sky, **

**And the way that gravity pulls on you and I... on you and I. **

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

He had shrugged off his leather jacket. He laughed ad Rose's look, countering it with, "If you've ever fallen asleep in a leather jacket, you'll know why." It was a lie, of course. He routinely fell asleep in his jacket, in the odd couple of hours he was caught off-guard by fatigue in the TARDIS. He just new it wouldn't be comfortable for Rose to sleep on. She could sleep perfectly well without him there, he was sure. He wasn't even sure why he'd stayed. But he was pleased that he had. Most definitely.

Rose sank back against the covers and slowly and, with only the slightest of hesitations, he slipped onto the bed beside her. She watched him with careful eyes as he lay next to her, his back on the tall pillow, his head hovering so he could watch her easily. Almost without meaning to, her folded his arms over the navy blue of his jumper. The Doctor could feel the heat from Rose's body burning into him like a hot, iron poker, despite the fact that their bodies weren't touching. He turned his head to look at her and smiled gently as their eyes met.

She made to move towards him, ever so slightly – just when he leant forward and reached for his shoes. Apparently, timing was not their thing. Pretending he hadn't noticed, the Doctor kicked his trainers off to the floor and reclined again, letting his head relax against the pillow. He grinned at Rose easily. He didn't know that in her mind, she was almost cursing him for turning such an intimate moment into a laugh.

Then the terrifying thought came up. Oh, God, she'd got it wrong. He was only here to make sure she got off to sleep all right, to know that she was safe. He wasn't going to sit here _cuddling _her, heaven forbid. He just wanted to make sure she was all right. And she felt like a complete idiot – thank God he had moved when he did. So, perhaps, it was unsurprising that her smile back to the Doctor was a little weak.

He met her eye and started talking as if he hadn't even noticed her inner turmoil. Well, she could just be herself, at least.

The Doctor stared down the length of his legs to his feet, wiggling his toes as he did so. He then grinned back to Rose with a wide smile.

"My mother always told me, never put shoes on the bed," he explained happily, his arms folded cross his chest again. She lifted her head slightly to glance down at his feet, which he was still openly wiggling, The Doctor took note. "And don't you be getting any ideas, either," he added. "I like this pair."

With a feigned happy smile, Rose sat back again, actually tempted to twiddle her thumbs. It was only when the Doctor rolled his eyes and sighed loudly did she look at him properly. To find he was looking back at her, his eyebrow raised, his face sincere.

"Are you goin' to just sit there, or are you actually going to go to sleep?"

"Right, yeah," she mumbled, looking away from him. "Night, Doctor."

"Night, Rose," he beamed, completely unaware of her awkward situation. In truth, she'd never meant for him to stay. It had been a passing, fleeting, stupid thought that she had thrown in there for the hell of it. And now look where she was: lying next to a nine hundred year old alien on her bed without any parts of their bodies touching. Her mum would have killed her.

Rose lay back and closed her eyes; however, only ten seconds later, she opened them again.

"What?" the Doctor asked innocently, whose head was turned to watch her while she slept. His eyes were blinking slowly, a smile hidden in their depths.

"I can't exactly sleep with you watchin' me like that, can I Doctor?"

He sighed exaggeratedly before finally giving in.

"Oh, all right," he groaned, unfolding his arms slowly. "Have it your way."

The Doctor shifted himself, their knees touching, their shoulders close. He then raised an arm up and around Rose's shoulder, snaking his hand round to rest on her hip. , pulling her close. Surprised, she found herself curling into him, her hand splaying out over his chest. Her head nestled in the crook of his arm, the woollen skin of his jumper soft against her cheek. Slowly, reluctantly, with a last look up to him, she closed her eyes.

He held her close and watched her for what felt like an age, her torso moving with her breathing, her breath light and calm. The Doctor felt the edges of sleep pull at his conciousness; but this was a moment he was going to savour, not one that he'd let slip away. She trusted him. It wasn't that surprising, considering the things they did, the people they met and the the dangers they got themselves into. But she trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms and have him protect her, to scare away any monsters that haunted her dreams.

"I'll always protect you, Rose Tyler," he whispered softly into her hair, tightening his grip on her waist. "My Rose."

He thought she was asleep. She very nearly was. But the tiniest of movements, the smallest caress of his chest and shift in her breathing, told him otherwise.

"My Doctor," she whispered back, her breath seeping into the clothes of his jumper.

Pride and warmth shone out of his eyes at he gazed to her, already falling into the deeper realms of sleep. If he told her now, she would hear him and it would all be over. He couldn't risk that.

The Doctor snorted inwardly at the defence he gave more than once to Rose: "I don't do domestic."

Well, if this wasn't bloody domestic, he didn't know what was. She had him wrapped around her little finger, and she was beginning to realise it. He didn't lie with his arms around his companions, letting them fall asleep safe beside him. He ran off, flitting between planets and friends like a humming bird to a flower. Never consistent, always changing and never, ever getting close. He was the only constant. No one else. So what was this?

Quite by accident, while his mind began to lose concentration, he brought his other hand up to brush at the hair on her face. She made a happy sort of sound in the back of her throat, nuzzling to his touch like a cat. He smiled. So innocent. So perfect. How was he ever going to let her go? Bringing his hand away from her face, he let it rest over hers on his chest, curling his fingers around her own. One of his hearts almost stopped to feel her squeeze back. He closed his eyes, falling into the world of dreams, letting himself drown in the woman that surrounded him. Just this once, he would let go.

And so it was. The Doctor and his Rose curled with each other in the dimming lights of the TARDIS, which extinguished when both had fallen asleep. Two lost souls hidden away in a blue box in the depths of time and space. Finding each other. Until the end of Time.


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: **Take note of the rating for this chapter. It's a T. Most definitely.

* * *

_

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**Can you hear my heart beating? **

**Can you hear that sound? **

**-------------------------------------------------**

Rose's eyes flickered open, and it took her a moment or two to remember where she was. She had fallen asleep with the Doctor's arm by her waist and his hand around hers. She guessed that he had slept too, though there was no proof. He could have lain there watching her, for all she knew. Then again, that wouldn't have been so bad. It was the sort of sweet, protective thing he did.

During her sleep, which had been punctuated with strangely coloured apparitions, she had moved against him. Where once her head had been lying to his chest, her body curled into his warmth, she had rolled and was now lying on her side. Her back was pressed to the Doctor's chest, so close against him that her own torso moved with his breathing. The thump of at least one of his hearts beat against her shoulder blade like the rhythm of a soothing drum.

His warm, gentle breath was tickling the nape of her neck, his nose just brushing her skin. His arm was curled over her chest, pulling her close to him, his hand around hers. The tips of his calloused fingers rested gently in the side of her palm, the underside of his hand over her knuckles. His hand was so close to her, she had only to lean forward about an inch before she could kiss the join of his thumb.

The Doctor's other arm, she realised rather awkwardly, was slipped under her waist, so she was lying across his elbow. Her other hand had woven itself under his first arm – the one across her chest – and had joined with his by her waistline, their fingers linking together like the bonds in a chain. Even their ankles had crossed with each other's, and the Doctor's knees were pressing softly into the back of her own. Rose thought she should be embarrassed about waking up like this with the Doctor. But it felt so safe and natural, she found it hard to believe that she hadn't always woken up in his arms, even his simple breathing enough to send a shiver through her.

The smallest hitch in his breathing told her he was awake too. Rose wasn't sure if she should, perhaps, turn in his arms to look at him, or make to get up, or even say good morning. She wondered, idly, if there was something specific that Time Lords did when they woke up, to signify they were both awake.

She felt his legs shift around hers, his body trying to pull her closer to him. Oh yes – definitely awake. The lips at the nape of her neck began to glide, ever so slightly, over the tiny, receptive hairs. For a second, she was sure she felt him press his lips to her, and she closed her eyes against him. But the sensation was over so soon she wasn't even sure if she'd felt it in the first place. He could just have been moving in his sleep. Dreaming, maybe. Perhaps he was asleep after all.

"No, there's nothing that Time Lords do," he mumbled sleepily, his breath following a path down her spine like a wave. She suppressed a shiver. Not asleep.

Then she wondered about what he'd said, and frowned.

"Do about what?" she asked quietly, feeling his thumb begin to trace the knuckles of her hand slowly, his arm grip her to him like she was his life support at sea.

"To tell each other they're awake."

Rose blinked, before shivering once more: his nose was brushing against her neck again, his breath calm and warm. She wish he'd stop that, just to stop herself from crying out.

"You really want me to stop?" she heard him growl quietly, and she felt him pull his head back a little. All right, this time she _knew_ she hadn't said that out loud.

"Doctor – are you reading my mind?" she asked. There was no accusation in her voice, which he was surprised at. She just sounded genuinely curious.

The Doctor cleared his throat and opened his eyes, as if suddenly realising where he was and what he was doing. That had, in fact, been exactly what he was doing. He hadn't known he was – it hadn't been a conscious thing. He had just drifted in there before his mind had really woken up, not even realising that he could hear her thoughts and see her dreams. Well, he reasoned, she couldn't exactly blame him. She _was_ curled up in his arms, and there were some things a Time Lord just couldn't help when they weren't entirely in control of their own bodies. Namely, when they were asleep or severely aroused. He didn't like to admit which of the two which had affected him. He wasn't entirely sure.

"Sorry," he answered quickly, feeling abashed and guilty. Stupid, idiotic Time Lord. Can't even fall asleep without messing that up. "It's a Time Lord thing. I didn't mean to. It just... happens, sometimes."

Rose felt him begin to pull away from her, his hands breaking out of hers, his chest pulling back, his ankles uncrossing. She quickly tightened her fingers around his before he slipped away from her completely.

"No, 's'all right," she assured gently, pushing her body and warmth back against him. She didn't want him to leave. Not after this. "I was jus' checkin'."

"Checking that I was reading your mind?" he questioned, though he was smiling.

He relaxed against her again, finding her hands, her body. The nape of her neck. He hovered for a moment, warm against her, feeling her breathe beneath him. It had been such a long time since he had felt this with anyone, he almost couldn't believe it was happening. It was reckless and stupid, he knew, and would only cause more problems than it would solve. He should never have let himself fall asleep with her. But now that he had, he couldn't just up and leave her. Quite apart from the fact that she would be hurt and angry (and he wasn't having that, no matter how stupid this was), he was physically incapable of doing so. His body seemed to be ignoring every command from his mind, and it had eventually given up and slunk off somewhere, complaining about ungrateful Time Lords.

A moment or two's silence passed, in which they just lay there in each other's arms, both knowing the other was awake but not quite sure where to go from here. They couldn't lie around all day, that was for sure. There were places to go, people to see, strange food to eat, trouble to get in to. Not that he wasn't already in a whole whirlwind of trouble now.

"You'll tell me, won't you?" Rose asked suddenly. The Doctor blinked.

"Tell you what?"

"If you read my mind again. 'Cause, y'know, I just want to know."

He grinned to himself, letting his forehead rest gently against the back of her head. Her hair smelled sweet and fresh like her shampoo, and vaguely of coconuts. Coconuts and honey sounded about right.

"Yeah," he answered at last, the wide grin shining through in his voice. "I'll tell you."

The silence that rose between them was not the most companionable. Rose wouldn't have exactly called it awkward, exactly, but it was as if they were poised above an issue, like a diver to a swimming pool. Neither of them particularly wanted to jump, both enjoying the feel of anticipation below them. But the Doctor knew, maybe more so than Rose, that one of them had to take that fall. And it may as well be him.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked at length, the fingers of his hand playing with hers. It made him smile to feel her do the same.

"Yeah," Rose answered quickly, pretending that she couldn't feel every movement of his lips as he spoke. It was if he were whispering to her via her skin, sending little messages across every cell of her spine. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks as his body pressed closer to hers, his arms making sure she stayed close to him. "You?" she choked as the hand around hers began to brush its knuckles lazily up and down the length of her forearm. The bare skin that he caressed with the lightest of touches tingled and burned like he'd set it on fire.

"Not bad, thanks," he answered, his voice steady despite the rocketing of his hearts. "Been a while since I slept, so it could have been worse."

"Oh." Was that a compliment? She didn't know. "Okay."

More silence. His fingers paused, his mouth hovering above her neck so softly he could almost taste her. The hair that tickled his nose almost made him sneeze, but he refrained.

"You can relax, y'know," he added quietly, his body tensing before he pushed his mouth gently to her skin. "I'm not gonna bite."

The way he said it made it sound like he was leaving the word, '...Yet...' off the end. The thought sent a shiver right the way trough her. Rose felt her breath catch in her throat as his body shifted behind hers, his warmth coursing through her as he pressed himself gently against her back. Her hands began to sweat as the colour in her cheeks soared and a fresh band of sweat broke out across her forehead. It was all she could do was lie there, relaxed in his arms and weakened by his touch.

The taste he could feel hovering at the tip of his mouth sent his senses rocketing and he closed his eyes in ecstasy, working purely on instinct. He couldn't think. He could only feel the woman in his arms, savour her longingly at his mouth. She tasted sweet and pure, but with a bitter tang that teased him to no end. The temptation to devour her in that instant ripped through him and he applied increasing, tentative pressure to the skin beneath him. Feeling no resistance, passion exploded behind his caress, his body completely taking over. He began to snake his way back and forth across the nape of her neck, his soft butterfly kisses becoming more than just a whisper on her soft skin. Gaining more momentum, he let his tongue graze lightly over the skin under his mouth, his teeth teasing her with soft little nips. Rose let out a strangled word as he worked, losing coherent thought as his kisses became more intense.

"What was that?" he murmured softly, his lips tickling her skin as he spoke. He began to raise himself up slightly his mouth looking for new ground to cover.

Rose mouth moved without permission, the words spilling out of her without any thought involved. His touch had rendered her fairly useless in the though department, and with the heat that flooded through her, she all but melted.

"You're jus' – " she gasped as he found her neck again, his nose nuzzling the tender skin that he was making his way to. "This is all – I don't think I..."

His eyes snapped open as thought returned like someone had just hit him over the head with a concrete block. The speed with which he leapt away from her was impressive, even for his standards. He dropped her body away from him like he'd been stung, standing up and stumbling away from the bed. He stood frowning, confused, anger and guilt racing through him like a tidal wave.

"Rose, I – "

He faltered, blinking stupidly at her, not even knowing what to say. Oh, what in heaven's name had he done? Played a stupid, dangerous game and now he'd read her all wrong, mixed her signals, slipped up. He had lost his concentration for a second, a minute – but it had been enough. He'd blown it, blown his cover, blown his chance, blown it all. She would never forgive him now – not now she knew.

Rose, cursing her stupid, stupid mouth for saying things without checking, sat up and turned to look at him, her hazy vision soon returning without his caress to steal it away. The look on his face was almost enough to break her heart. He looked so sorry, appalled, angry, confused, hurt... a huge mass of emotions had crashed down upon him, and she knew it was because of her. What she had meant to say had come out wrong. She meant to say she _couldn't_ say anything, that he was amazing, the she loved him. But it sounded like he had wormed his way to her by himself, like she didn't want any of it. Like he had hurt her. Like he had done it all against her will.

And before she had the chance to tell him so, before she could reach out for his hand, he blinked down at her a final time then turned and bolted for the door. It was the deer-in-a-headlight result for a moment as he'd stood; but then she'd braked and he'd darted off as far and fast he could. Rose felt the tears rise in her just seconds after he had left. She could still feel him close to her, still hear his breath, still picture him in her mind's eye. She wiped hurriedly at the salty crystals that began to spill down her cheeks, doing her best to keep them at bay.

Sinking back into the covers, Rose had to hold her breath to stop the spiteful tears from spilling further. Her mouth had spoken without any thought attached, tried to form words that made no sense. Her mind was thick with a fog she couldn't think through. The Doctor... upset... embarrassed... angry, probably, if his reaction was anything to go by. She had to talk to him. Had to tell him it was all right, that she was just stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Slowly, she crawled up off the bed and made for the TARDIS console room.


	14. Chapter 14

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**'Cause I can't help crying, **

**And I wont look down. **

**---------------------------------------**

She couldn't stay. Not now. Not after the awkward situation he had thrown them both in to. It was just too much. He'd probably scared the living daylights out of her, coming on to her like that. She'd probably blame him, accuse him of being heartless and cruel, demand for her to take him home because she couldn't live with him now. Not when he'd broken her security. Her trust. Best to head it off at the pass, he decided. No matter what she said, this couldn't go on.

The Doctor heard the shuffle of feet in the doorway as he pulled down a lever. The TARDIS lurched in objection, but he remained standing, working with the controls. He heard Rose at the door and didn't look up.

"Pack your bags," he commanded harshly, slamming his fist down on a button with more force than was needed. He looked up and met her eye severely. "I'm takin' you home."

Rose, shocked by his words, stood and blinked at him. That hadn't been what she was expecting, ad the words she'd rehearsed on the way here were forgotten.

"W – what?"

"You heard me," he retorted, darting around the console so that his broad back was facing her. He couldn't look at her. Give her all the opportunity she needed to turn away and run from him.

"But... why?"

She was restricted to mono syllables. She heard the words, but they didn't make sense. He couldn't be serious. Not after... what she had said wasn't _that_ bad. She just sounded like she didn't want him – after he'd taken a huge risk in letting her know how he felt. Oh, God, he was serious.

"'Cause," he shot back over his shoulder. His voice was so loud and coarse it could have physically cut her.

"'Cause _why_?" she pushed, stepping forward to him. He walked away, yanking on a lever. The TARDIS lurched again and Rose stumbled; he made no attempt to help her up. Didn't even look at her. Didn't even glance up.

"You know why," he answered. He was angry. It was in his voice, his manner, his eyes. Brimming out of him like a violent volcano. "This isn't the life you want."

"'Scuse me, isn't that for me to decide?" Rose challenged, fighting fire with fire. All right, so she may not have done the most sensible of things, but taking her home was a bit drastic. She wouldn't go, she decided. She'd never go.

At her reply, he did look up. His eyes were such a swirling torrent of rage she actually took a step backwards.

"My TARDIS, my rules," he retorted, locking her gaze. "Besides, you've made it quite clear about the sort of life you want."

"But... that was... a mistake!" she tried at last, anger turning to desperation. He _couldn't_ take her back. He'd promised he wouldn't, not until she said so.

"Too right. And it's not a mistake I'm going to be making again any time soon."

This was a nightmare. What, nine words to bring him to this? Bring them both to this devastating end.

The TARDIS shuddered to a halt before an eerie stillness hung in the air. The Doctor looked at her with blazing eyes.

"Here we are," he sniped, his voice sharp. "Back home. Nice and safe with mummy and the life you used to lead. Before I met you. Now _out_."

Rose blinked at him, tears pricking at her like thousands of tiny needles. She wouldn't cry in front of him. She couldn't believe it. He couldn't be serious. That look he was giving her, a look she had seen many a time to the aliens around them... it wasn't meant for her. That angry, hard, disgusted look that had cut his face when he'd seen the Dalek in Van Statten's. And now she was on the receiving end of it, she felt lower than scum.

The Doctor crossed his arms and looked to her pointedly.

"Well, what you waitin' for?" he barked. "Door's waiting for you, and I ain't goin' anywhere 'til you're off this ship."

"But... you can't..." she was stumbling now, looking for excuses, finding something to hold on to. He was just angry, over-reacting. He wasn't serious. The threatening tears screamed at her and dissolved down her cheeks, searing everything in their path as they did so. She felt so helpless and lost, trapped with the look of pure venom that was shooting from his eyes. Her face showed her pain and she didn't care.

"Can too," the Doctor countered. "I know this isn't the way either of us pictured it, but when it's time, it's time, Rose. It's been great knowing you and I've had one hell of a laugh. But some things are just not meant to last, and this is one of them. I'm just... pre-empting the inevitable. You already know this is where you want to be."

"Right. That's it." Rose looked around the TARDIS for something – anything – that would keep her here. She wished she had a pair of handcuffs, or a rope, to tie herself to the ship. He wasn't just going off and dumping her. He'd shown her too much, and she'd be damned if she would just let it go. Not seeing anything of use, she turned and stalked back to the corridors of the TARDIS. There had to be something...

"Where're you goin'!" the Doctor cried, starting off after with an angry pace. "I told you to go!"

Rose tried a door. Locked. With aggravation, she jogged on. Next door, locked. Locked, locked, locked. It was like the TARDIS was keeping her in the corridors, with the Doctor not far behind. Like she wanted them to fight without anything in the way. Rose ran desperately, throwing herself at the doors, not even sure why or what she was looking for. She just knew she had to bury herself as deep in the ship as was possible, keep herself safe.

And then an iron-like hand closed around her wrist and she was pulled to a stop. She hadn't even heard him behind her. But now she wheeled around to face him, mascara staining her tears and determination set across her face. He was practically shaking with anger, his entire demeanour shouting it at her like the war call of an army.

"You're hurting me!" she snapped, wrenching her arm from his grip. For a second – a _second_ – the anger flickered and fell away. But then it was back, as severe as ever, and he made a swipe at her again.

"Good!" he spat, his reactions no longer a part of his concious mind. He wasn't even really angry at her. Angry at life, at the universe, at fate, at himself. Anything but her, really. She hadn't done anything wrong. But she was there and she was fighting against him and it was the only thing he had. The idea of getting her off the ship had been spontaneous and bitter, not something he'd meant. But now it was stuck in his mind it was all he could think about, no reason, no resolution. Get – her – out. Three words whizzing around his head like a deflating balloon.

The slap had come out of nowhere. It was the last thing he expected. His cheek stung with the residue of raw bitterness and he stood for a moment, panting, completely unaware of what was going on. He dropped her wrist and gaped, not at her, but past her, unbelieving of his own actions and reactions. She was sobbing, too – sniffing with exhausted fear and anger. His eyes flicked to her. Had he done that?

Thought returned. He could feel again, properly this time, and he realised what he had done to her. Oh, God. His own little sweet Rose, terrified of him, hurt by his own hands. He wanted to reach out to her, take her in his arms and calm her, shield her from the pain. But _he_ was the problem. How could he fix that?

As their gaze locked he took in her in entirely. The furious fear she was wearing made his hearts crack under the strain of knowing it was his fault. Something unfamiliar stung at his eyes, something raw and painful. It had been a long time since tears had ever come to him.

"I'm _so_ sorry," he choked, his voice broken with the strain of fighting back. She looked away from him, and he broke. "Oh, Rose. My Rose. I didn't mean – I was just – "

Rose looked back to him with a hurt frown. She licked her lips and held her breath before looking to the ceiling and fighting back her tears. She reached to wipe her eyes, though the action was fairly redundant. Her anger ebbed away and she was left with the aftertaste of sorrow – hurt by what the Doctor had done, but understanding and pleased he seemed to be thinking clearly.

She looked him in the eye and tried not to cry.

"I know," she whispered back with sincerity. "I'm sorry."

The gaze was held for only a few seconds before the Doctor started forwards and cupped her cheek, his touch gentle, his movements calm. He searched her face silently, his eyes roaming hers, before pulling her towards her and sweeping her into a hug, body to body, mind to mind and soul to soul.

"Don't be sorry," he pleaded, closing his eyes. "Don't be scared. Don't be hurt. I was angry," he reasoned desperately into her hair, holding her so tight in his arms he never wanted to let go. She practically felt the air squeeze from her – but she hugged back, her hands reaching for his shoulders. "Angry and stupid and... I wouldn't have left you. At most, I would have calmed down and come back. I'll never leave you."

It was a lie. He would have left her and calmed down and _wondered_ about going back. Always wanting to but never quite managing it – until she faded into existence in the back of his mind. Thank God she'd had the sense to stop him. Thank Rose.

He squeezed her tight again before pulling back and slipping his hands to her cheeks. She was smiling at him. Albeit, it was weak – but it was a smile. He didn't deserve her. Not in a billion years. He tenderly brushed his thumb over the stain of tears that had stormed her face, his cool fingers calming the rawness of her skin. She closed her eyes against him, breathing in slowly to calm herself.

After a moment or two, the Doctor swallowed the emotion that had built up in his throat. His pride included. He slowly leant forwards and planted a soft kiss to Rose's forehead, his apology spilling out with the tenderness of his lips. After a moment or two, he pulled back again. Rose's eyes were shining up at him – but not with tears.

"Doctor, I – "

"No, Rose," he interrupted, shaking his head. "You have to know. I'm sorry. Sorry for all of this, for everything. It was just stupid and assuming and I was being an idiot – you're not ready for this."

"You sure you don't mean _you're_ not ready?" she countered, blinking up to him. "'Cause I'll tell you something, Doctor – I am. An' you know it."

For once he was lost for words.

He looked down, watching her, his hands on her cheeks. She was reading him like an open book, he realised. No one had done that before. Beautiful, intelligent, funny Rose. She had changed before his very eyes, like a butterfly from a chrysalis, and now she was something he could call his own. All his. His Rose.

His Rose sighed. She gave a small smile then reached a hand to one of his on her cheek.

"We've been through too much, Doctor," she reasoned wisely. "Can't just throw it all away now. Whatever happens in here, or out there, the only thing we've got is each other and that's all that matters. Right?"

He grinned stupidly, impressed. Oh, she was so much better. Better than anything, everything, he had come across before. He'd seen supernovas and tasted black holes. He'd been the end of planets and the beginnings of stars. He'd fought the bad guys and proved that even the tiniest effort can make the biggest difference. But none of it compared to her. It didn't even come close.

"Right," he laughed back, happiness spreading through him like the morning rays of a rising sun. "And, Rose – everything else, we can just forget. I'm sorry. You know I am. What I said: it was only to hurt you."

"Yeah, but I saw through you. Gonna take more than that to get rid of me!"

His smile was infectious and had passed to her. He slowly took his hands from her cheeks and found her hands, linking their fingers. The fact that he found no resistance just added to his pride in her.

"What, more than launching on you then practically kicking you out of the TARDIS?"

"Yup," Rose beamed as he began to lead her back to the console room. "A lot more. I'm here for life, Doctor, whether you like it or not."

"I love it," he answered quickly. Rose blinked and smiled to herself – it was a start.

They stopped in the middle of the corridor. Apparently not the console room, then. The Doctor reached out and pushed open the door. Her bedroom door.

"You're a good girl, Rose Tyler," he said happily, turning to her with adoration in his deep eyes. He tightened his hands around hers then leant forwards, speaking quietly in her ear. "Don't ever change. Not for me, not for this life, the TARDIS, your mum. Anyone. You're perfect – just the way you are. And I..."

_Tell her, tell her, tell her... _

"You what, Doctor?"

_Tell her. _

He hesitated, keeping her eye contact.

"I – "

_Tell her! _

Rose, who had seen that expression on his face before and felt – for once – that this was up to her, stepped up on to her toes and planted a kiss tenderly on the Doctor's cheek. She then stepped back, smiled shyly, released his hands and stepped into her bedroom.

"Do me a favour?" she asked softly hovering in the doorway. He couldn't answer. All he could do was look at her softly, following her with his eyes. His cheek burned where her soft caress ad touched him. He should have told her.

With a last smile she disappeared inside her room – but not before she grabbed the Doctor's hand and led him inside behind her. He swallowed as they walked over to her dresser, his hand so large around hers it was almost ridiculous. She stopped and reached out, picking up the perfume bottle he had been examining earlier. Slowly, her gentle eyes on his, she uncapped the bottle and squirted one spray to her wrist. After replacing the bottle she extended her arm out to her side. The Doctor glanced from her to her wrist, then smiled. A small nod of her head while she watched him was all the invitation he needed.

Stepping forwards, haw cupped a hand around her wrist and brought it to his nose. He breathed in, mouth ever so slightly open, smelling the perfume mingle with her own scent. As he closed his eyes, drawing in a slow, long breath, he realised what it would feel like to drown in her. Inhaling deeply, the enticing toxins danced around his head, spreading to all the corners of his mind. Without quite meaning to, he shifted her wrist to his lips and kissed her gently, seductively, his tongue grazing just lightly enough to take in the full flavour of the perfume. Of her.

The Doctor heard her gasp slightly at his touch and smiled, withdrawing his kiss. He brought his head up again to gaze at her, leading her hand to his cheek. He grinned at her, his eyes lighting up with mischievous wonder.

"Like it, then?" Rose asked quietly, her voice slightly cracked. He chuckled quietly, reaching for her other hand.

"Not as much as you," he replied, his eyes shining.

"Oh." She was smiling, obviously pleased with his answer. He ducked forward, making her hand slip from his cheek to his shoulder. He reached to tuck at the hair on her face, smiling gently as he did so, his fingers light against her skin.

"But that's all right, though," he added softly, drawing so close to her he could see the effects of his breath tickling her face. With a grin he hovered above her, just a moment, waiting to sink down and steal her lips away with his. "'Cause I _love_ you."

And then there was no more talking as he pulled her to him and locked their embrace with a searing kiss, sending sparks of shivers coursing through her. His hand was gentle as he pulled her to him, deepening the kiss with a tilt of his head.

The TARDIS threw tender lights over the couple who were lost in each other, finally giving in to the temptations that had been wreaking havoc on their emotions. Because that was all they were, really. Two lost souls who had finally thrown caution to the winds and found each other.

In a strange blue box, hidden away in the back alley of a London street, the Doctor and his Rose began on a journey that would lead them far beyond any star they had touched before.

He didn't need the universe. He had her.

**_End

* * *

_**

_I was wondering if I should do a sequal to this... (un-songfic, that is), but I'm not sure. Let me know if you think so: I probably need something to take my mind of that other story I'm writing xD Hope you enjoyed, I know I did :)_


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